So Seatown is talking for every single Sonics fan with boo boo feelings? How do you know where I was when the Sonics left, or how long ive been a fan. I get it, "soccer thread"..do you know there arent a handful of fans going onto to threads across the internet to voice their satisfaction at the righting of this injustice, and taking the screws to Kings fans who still hope to keep there team. Talk about taking a moral high ground... its like you're in the Matrix.

Perhaps I responded to the wrong post Seatown. maybe I should have searched further more diligently through the 8 pages. Youre absolutely right in everything you said regarding the Sonics and its move. And I completely agree that the basketball community in general (save Bennett, Stern and some Kings fans) are happy to see the NBA back in Seattle. But I read plenty that the city of Seattle and its tax payers didnt do enough to save the team. Believe it or not, but the same reasons you give for Sacramento losing the Kings are applied directly to Seattle losing the Sonics. I imagine Thunder fans feel that way. Why shouldnt they? and because they, or anyone, do youre somehow able to shout them out? I remember quite clearly the debate on this board when the Sonics were leaving, and how quickly fans were to ignore, persecute or attack anyone that when with the "let them go" or even worse "Im not paying for a new stadium to save an NBA team". It wasnt pretty. Remember?

while peaches may be on the wind up some times, he's taken an awful lot sh-- on here for being a Thunder fan. And Ive seen plenty of "How dare you root for that team on THIS board" kind of crap (completely ignoring the Blazer population we have on here) without so much as any moral abjectness given towards the move. Just gets old, inane. How many NBA threads in general on this board alone devolve into "I wont watch it ever again, I dont care... blah blah, sniffle, sniffle". And god forbid if you pulled for the Thunder in the Finals.

So yeah, ill bow out and return to the soccer threads and take up my persecution of Gate and all things Arsenal FC.... I celebrate the return of a franchise that I remember beating Rick Berry in the finals 30+ years ago, brought us Gus and DJ, Sikma, Nate Mac, X Man, Detlef, Sammy Smooth, Payton to Kemp, Ray Allen, James the trash bag and two great years of Kevin Durant.

They want to sell it (for above value).... but retain some ability to help run the franchise?

Uuummm, what would be the point of buying it then with the crazy ex-owners creepy around?

It would be like buying a beautiful $500,000 home but the old owners keeping a set of keys and just wandering in whenever they like to help themselves to whatever's in your kitchen, using your bathroom and enjoying your TV.

Those dudes are nuts.

Long you live and high you fly, and smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry, and all you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be

Guy on sonicsrising made a really good point. Why would you sell something if you want to maintain control of it? Because you have to. I doubt the Maloofs can afford to hold out. Playing poker with Hansen and Ballmer won't end well for them.

pinksheets wrote:Guy on sonicsrising made a really good point. Why would you sell something if you want to maintain control of it? Because you have to. I doubt the Maloofs can afford to hold out. Playing poker with Hansen and Ballmer won't end well for them.

Considering the Maloofs are owners or partners in the Palms getting out played in Poker would be a new take on things for them.

In fact I think they look at it as playing with house money, they get 450 million dollars, someone else takes the heat, they get to maintain their Ego's and play owners as well as have the ability to create chaos block anything and steal spotlight when something comes up. The prestige of ownership is still there with now risks and they get all the bills paid.

If I'm Hansen I walk away from the table for couple weeks and let public opinion beat up the Maloofs before coming back. Or let the NBA leverage a bit more on them and play some dirty parlor tricks hoping that some of the debts are all of a sudden called in.

Besides after sitting at a rigged table with Bennett and Schultz we know dirty poker and a rigged game now. Won't get fooled again on that level.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.

I think the Maloofs all but a small share of the Palms. They are awful, awful businessmen with a horrible track record. They're playboys (and girls I suppose) who have been living off of daddy's money and assets their whole lives and dwindling it down to the point that the Kings are all they have of any value left. Hansen and Ballmer are likely their one shot to make a deal that both solves their debt problems and gives them a nice overhead to invest in their other pursuits.

There is no pressure to negotiate in earnest yet for Hansen. March 1st is the day that any franchise relocations have to be filed. Maloofs can posture for awhile, but if this is going to happen the sale has to be approved and relocation filed to make it worth Hansen/Balmer time to do the deal. I figure there is about a month and a half before the door is closed on this. Unless the approval process takes longer in order to vet Hansen and the other ownership folks.

drdiags wrote:There is no pressure to negotiate in earnest yet for Hansen. March 1st is the day that any franchise relocations have to be filed. Maloofs can posture for awhile, but if this is going to happen the sale has to be approved and relocation filed to make it worth Hansen/Balmer time to do the deal. I figure there is about a month and a half before the door is closed on this. Unless the approval process takes longer in order to vet Hansen and the other ownership folks.

Even with a deal worked out after March first, while it would mean another Sonic-less year for Seattle, it would also mean only one year (probably) they'd have to play in Key arena before the new stadium was built. And they'd have more time to hammer out some of the details that would be hurried doing it this year. If I'm Hansen, I wait it out and make the Maloofs come around. He holds all the cards.

"The ultimate number is W's, and that’s what matters in Santa Clara. As such, Jed York does not own the 49ers; Russell Wilson does." - Paul Gutierrez

I wouldn't blame Hansen from walking away from this deal while giving the dumb **** Maloofs a big "**** YOU!"

Hansen does not have to do even a single thing more than everything he has already done. Even if it takes longer to get a team, I don't want that dumb fuck Maloof circus anywhere near the sonics organization.

Im actually staying in Sonora right now so the local news was from Sac and they are def fighting for their team right now and talking about the different ways and owners that would keep the team there...No new info just a lot of hope from Kings fans and somewhat flippant interviews w the Pike Place fish guys (not flattering)It all feels very familiar and saddening

Well if the story is true about expiration of contracts with sponsers etc and the Maloofs have to play in Arco again how much revenue are they going to get as well as attendence now that this has broke. How many local area companies will want to give money to a team leaving town and that ownership. How hard will it be for the players to show up and give it their all every night in a empty arean with owners wanting to pull out of being responsible for operations.

Waiting a while and letting them have finance a lame year or look at doing it will surely put the pressure on them to deal at some point.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.

Hansen does not have to do even a single thing more than everything he has already done. Even if it takes longer to get a team, I don't want that dumb fuck Maloof circus anywhere near the sonics organization.

This is the closest we've been, you don't walk away til the Maloofs walk away IMO.

dunceface wrote:Im actually staying in Sonora right now so the local news was from Sac and they are def fighting for their team right now and talking about the different ways and owners that would keep the team there...No new info just a lot of hope from Kings fans and somewhat flippant interviews w the Pike Place fish guys (not flattering)It all feels very familiar and saddening

They're fighting for their team? Whatever, they're losing their team because they don't deserve them and they're bad fans! Right guys?

Long you live and high you fly, and smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry, and all you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be

Here's a thought that I've had a few times over the last little bit since this story was leaked. Maybe the deal's done. Complete. Finished. Signed and everything. Why? It's simple. Nobody wanted this leaked in the first place, and I'm guessing they were pretty pissed that it was leaked. Nobody, and I mean nobody wants anyone to watch the remaining Kings season knowing they're done for and dead in the water until the absolute last second. There could be a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff happening that will move this sale along quicker when it's finally announced, but until then, they don't want to say anything because of the effect it will have on the team and league. Just a hunch, but we may see the sale and petition to move done at the 11th hour. That leak wasn't supposed to happen, and things got well out of hand quickly. Too quickly for how early it still is in the year.

"The ultimate number is W's, and that’s what matters in Santa Clara. As such, Jed York does not own the 49ers; Russell Wilson does." - Paul Gutierrez

Seahawk Sailor wrote:Here's a thought that I've had a few times over the last little bit since this story was leaked. Maybe the deal's done. Complete. Finished. Signed and everything. Why? It's simple. Nobody wanted this leaked in the first place, and I'm guessing they were pretty pissed that it was leaked. Nobody, and I mean nobody wants anyone to watch the remaining Kings season knowing they're done for and dead in the water until the absolute last second. There could be a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff happening that will move this sale along quicker when it's finally announced, but until then, they don't want to say anything because of the effect it will have on the team and league. Just a hunch, but we may see the sale and petition to move done at the 11th hour. That leak wasn't supposed to happen, and things got well out of hand quickly. Too quickly for how early it still is in the year.

It would've had to have happened in the middle of the season regardless, March is the deadline to apply for relocation in the NBA. I think the news came out a bit prematurely, these types of things never come out until theyre finalized normally.

I've heard from reliable source that the Kings' sale to Hansen-Ballmer in Seattle is done deal. Source said price of the sale is $525 million. The source said further that the Maloofs will have no stake or decision-making with Seattle team and are out.

If thats true, they upped the price $25M to let the Maloofs be pacified enough to keep their stench off the franchise.

@ChrisDaniels5RT @Ryan_Lillis: Richard Benvenuti, a limited partner in #NBAKings, tells Bee's @dakasler he has not been told of a sale

Haha, there is going to be nothing official for awhile now. They still need to sell seats (though with the way the season has gone, they might as well make it official). For my money, this is a done deal

----------------------------"Plus I hate the seattle stadium the **** place is too loud, gave me a headache watchin the game." ~ Some 9er fan

So all of this Twitter back and forth aside, can anyone comment on the validity of the lawsuit the port workers have brought against the Hansen-Ballmer group over the lack of a SEPA study? It seems like I remember them mentioning it as a stipulation in the MOU but don't remember the exact specifics...and wasnt the MOU just an agreement that could still be re-worked if need be, and not a contract? Does the union even have a case? Couldnt Hansen procure a team, house them in the Key, complete the SEPA and still make adjustments to whatever plan they move ahead with ALL before breaking ground?

Thats a minor hurdle I think, as many places has stated if the Mariners are not effecting the Port how can the Basketball team, secondly Hansens group is going to improve most the area to make Trucking better not worse for them. Port will still have the container yards. Only way I think something really happens with the corrupt Port Authourity is if they had planned to move work to Tacoma anyway.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.